Your Talent is Mine Chapter 1: A Century Later

Within a cluttered sleeping chamber, upon a simple wooden frame.

"My head is throbbing terribly!!!"

"Am I… truly still breathing?"

Thoughts of bewilderment in Ye Tian's mind began to sharpen, as recollections from his previous existence started to emerge.

At that instant, another collection of memories blended seamlessly into his spirit.

"I've crossed through time!"

A wry laugh escaped him, realizing this form wasn't his original, but rather that of a youth sharing his name.

From the year 2019 he originated, now it was 2119, marking the centennial of the new calendar.

To put it simply, he had landed in an era a century ahead.

This period went by the name of the Qi Era, or alternatively, the Talent Era.

Ye Tian delved into the knowledge of the past century stored in his consciousness.

Back in early 2019, numerous spatial cracks tore open on Earth, unleashing hordes of ferocious creatures from beyond. Mankind tumbled from its dominant position in the ecosystem, clinging to existence amid the relentless menace of these monsters.

To combat the invading beasts, people deployed guns and advanced armaments, yet a enigmatic material surfaced on the planet—eventually termed Qi—that interfered with the integrity of such devices, turning mighty nuclear devices into worthless junk.

Forced into a primitive era of melee arms, humans stood little chance against the beasts using such rudimentary means.

Luckily, the initial waves of beasts were of lesser ranks, affording humanity a slim window for endurance.

Through diligent scientific inquiry, it was revealed that this elusive Qi could be cultivated. Thus, a fresh vocation arose—martial warriors!

Hone the physique, draw in Qi, surpass mortal boundaries, and evolve into a martial warrior.

In tandem, innate abilities among humans stirred to life.

A select portion possessed these abilities, with the prevalent one being cultivation talent. This cultivation talent gauged an individual's prospective heights. Beyond that, various abilities existed, such as blade talent, flame talent, ice talent, and more.

Leveraging these abilities and the prowess of warriors, humankind slowly gained ground against the beasts. Still, vast swathes of Earth lay under beast control, leaving only isolated zones for human strongholds, forming bastions of survival.

Notably, the planet Earth had ballooned in size by hundreds of folds, likely due to Qi's pervasive influence.

"Qi, abilities, monstrous foes—what a thrilling realm!" Ye Tian inhaled deeply, a grin spreading across his face.

Maybe arriving in this time was a fortunate turn for him.

Yet, moments later, his expression darkened gravely.

"When those spatial cracks split open and Qi flooded in, a tiny fraction of Earth's people stirred their abilities that very night. Cultivation talent is inborn and requires no activation, whereas other abilities might manifest later. For those original inhabitants, awakening an ability wasn't fortune but doom. Lacking a robust enough frame to contain the surge, such awakenings proved fatal. Historical accounts note that numerous folks perished or were left maimed by the overwhelming energy of talent awakening."

"Evidently, I triggered some mysterious ability then, causing my whole form to... burst apart!"

Ye Tian felt certain he had drawn in vast amounts of Qi, resulting in his body detonating and his demise.

"What sort of ability did I trigger back then, so potent it demolished my body? Though folks from a hundred years prior could awaken abilities abruptly without Qi acclimation, typically they'd merely bloat or end up disabled. Mine had to be extraordinarily mighty, but regrettably, after this temporal shift, its nature eludes me!" A sense of sorrow washed over Ye Tian.

Having pieced together details of his former life and the present age, Ye Tian methodically inspected his fresh vessel.

This physique was that of a 15-year-old, the ideal starting point for cultivation in the Qi Era.

Prior to age 15, the body remained in development and unfit for cultivation. Exceptions occurred among elite clans employing rare elixirs to hasten maturation for premature training.

Age 15 marked the peak period for cultivation. Beyond 20, regardless of superior aptitude, one's ultimate potential would be curtailed.

"Good thing it's not some aged husk, or I'd be in real trouble."

"Hold on…"

Ye Tian's countenance abruptly shifted.

He at last recalled a crucial fragment from the inherited memories—the aptitude of this form.

This body possessed exceedingly poor aptitude!

Frail aptitude!

In this age, cultivation talent held paramount importance. Cultivation talent ranged from inferior to superior as weak talent, low-tier talent, elementary/basic talent, intermediate/medium talent, and high talent. Rumors spoke of tiers surpassing high talent, though such secrets lay beyond Ye Tian's reach.

Upon reaching 15, individuals could acquire a Talent Stone to assess their cultivation talent, though it solely detected that type. Detecting other talents demanded specific Talent Stones.

His former self had eagerly obtained a Talent Stone at 15 and tested it privately in his quarters, only to uncover weak talent. In utter desolation, he succumbed to heartbreak, paving the way for the arriving Ye Tian.

"Curses, weak talent. The absolute lowest in cultivation potential. Zero chance of ascending to martial warrior!"

Despair gripped Ye Tian as well.

Martial disciples and martial warriors formed the initial two stages of practice. Martial disciple wasn't deemed a true stage, whereas martial warrior signified the inaugural genuine milestone, demanding a force of a thousand catties.

However, attaining martial warrior status necessitated at minimum low talent, one step above weak. Even with low talent, one might peak as an early martial warrior lifelong, yet hope persisted. Upon reaching even early martial warrior, such a person commanded respect, far exceeding common folk.

Conversely, weak talent bearers lingered in limbo. Despite lifelong diligence, they'd forever stay martial disciples.

"If only talent could be altered!" Ye Tian consoled himself inwardly.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Rapids echoed at the entrance.

"Brother, are you inside?"

The voice of a youthful female drifted from beyond.

Ye Tian recognized it as his sibling in this existence, Ye Yu, aged 13.

He swung the door ajar to behold an adorable lass resembling a delicate doll.

"Brother, what's your talent?" Ye Yu inquired with wide-eyed curiosity.

Talents were closely guarded secrets. Probing another's unless among kin was deemed impolite. After all, exposure invited risks; high talent holders could face targeted killings if details leaked.

In this realm, such tragedies had unfolded previously.

Thus, inquiring about talents was generally forbidden.

Nevertheless, Ye Tian held no grudge toward his sister.

"Little Yu, brother's talent is quite promising. I'm sure to rise as a mighty martial warrior someday!" Ye Tian gazed at Little Yu with a faint smile, though it carried a tinge of sorrow.

But in the instant that followed.

His eyes widened in shock, a jolt coursing through him!

An ethereal projection materialized across his vision.

Human: Ye Yu

Cultivation Talent: Low

Ice Talent: Elementary (Unawakened)